


When the world gets in my face, I say, have a nice day

by Queen_Gerbil



Category: Daredevil (TV), Spider-Man - All Media Types, The Defenders (Marvel TV)
Genre: Adoption, Daredevil & Brett Mahoney, Dead May Parker (Spider-Man), Hurt Peter Parker, Identity Reveal, Matt Murdock & Foggy Nelson Friendship, Original Character(s), Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Peter Parker Whump, Protective Matt Murdock, Protective Peter Parker, Secret Identity, Smart Peter Parker, Spider-man and the NYPD
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-07
Updated: 2021-02-24
Packaged: 2021-03-12 22:48:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,271
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29268246
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Queen_Gerbil/pseuds/Queen_Gerbil
Summary: Spider-man has been missing for 2 weeks.The defenders have looked everywhere for him, but was it spider-man or peter parker that was the target?Then Matt hears it“-fficer Sanchez, I’ve got eyes on the Green goblin, he’s headed in the direction of the precinct. It looks like he’s carrying something… oh my god it's Spider-man"Then all hell breaks loose.
Relationships: Matt Murdock & Franklin "Foggy" Nelson, Matt Murdock & Peter Parker
Comments: 19
Kudos: 142





	1. Missing

**Author's Note:**

> I've never done this before.  
> Let's see how it goes.  
> Enjoy :)

Spider-man was missing. It was understandable, Spider-man had a nasty habit of getting injured, or so said the citizens of New York whenever they saw a new tear in his suit. But he usually made an appearance after a few days, if only to reassure people he was still alive and kicking, doing some less strenuous activities. During these occasions, the joyful red and blue hero could normally be found petting dogs in central park, chatting with the local hot dog vendors, or getting kittens out of trees. But no one had seen him for 2 weeks. 

\----------

“Dammit kid, where are you?” Matt yelled, pacing around his apartment. 

The others stilled, they had all seen Daredevil angry, that came with watching him beat drug dealers and mobsters every night. But seeing Matt so angry, so desperate was something new. 

It had been 2 weeks since Peter missed their training session. Well, now it was more of a hangout session. A few months after getting to know peter, their training became less actual fighting practice and more Spanish tutoring, first aid lessons, and movie marathons. Peter was a good kid, the complete opposite of Matt as a teenager, but maybe that was why they got on so well. It started out as just the two of them, then after a stakeout gone wrong ended with Jess, Luke, and Danny crashing their movie night, it became something for all five of them to do. They had all grown fond of the teenager. After Spider-man saved them from a few unsavory Ninjas one night, they all also respected him, both as a hero and as a friend. He was still like their little brother though, and they would do anything to keep him safe. 

“Maybe I should call Misty,” Luke said. At the stony look from Matt, he added, “I know, you both have hang-ups about people knowing who you are, and I respect that. But Matt, his Aunt is missing too. Maybe we have to think of this as less of a Spider-man thing and more of a Peter Parker thing.”

Danny interjected with “I mean, no big fights happened last Thursday, right? All we’ve done since then is look into things he might have gotten involved with as Spider-man, muggers and, and well, even kittens! If the four of us can’t find anything about Spider-man on the streets, maybe there isn’t anything to be found.” 

“You know I hate to agree with any of you,” Jess drawled, taking a swig of whisky she acquired from Matt's cupboards, “but, they might have a point. We know Peter was at school on Friday, but even I can’t figure out what happened after he left. And we all know the kid isn’t exactly subtle.”

Matt stood still, a contemplating look on his face. “We do both. I don’t want to miss anything because we were looking in the wrong places. I’ll ask Claire to check with the hospital again, there must have been something we overlooked about May, how does a nurse just disappear in the middle of her shift? Luke, call Misty about Peter but don’t tell her we’re looking for Spider-man, we don’t want to reveal his iden-”

Matt cocked his head, listening in to a male voice in the alley 2 streets away. 

“-fficer Sanchez, I’ve got eyes on the Green goblin, he’s headed in the direction of the precinct. It looks like he’s carrying something… oh my god its Spider-man. Shit. Sir, wha-”

Matt stopped listening. He felt like he couldn’t breathe, the last few days of panic suddenly starting to weigh down on him. What if Peter was dead? No, that couldn’t happen. He couldn’t allow himself to lose hope. The kid is smart, he’s been in worse scrapes than this. But he needs to get to him, make sure his kid, the kid, was alright.

Ignoring the shouts of the others Matt grabbed his mask, bolted up to the roof, and ran towards the precinct. There wasn’t time to tell them anything, he knows they’ll probably follow him anyway, but he needs to find peter.

Obviously, he knew he couldn’t catch the Green Goblin, not with that device he always seemed to be using in order to help himself fly. But, he thought, if I can keep close enough, I should still be able to follow them to wherever they end up.

His musings abruptly ended when he heard a crash coming from the precinct. He ran faster, determined to get there in time to at least see Peter. 

As he got within sight of the building, he had just enough time to dive off the fire escape and narrowly avoid what he assumes is the pumpkin bombs peter is always describing. They seem to have been thrown indiscriminately, with no clear direction. Glad for the lack of civilians on the streets at 2 am, it seemed the only casualty of the attack was Matt’s ears, slightly ringing having been so close to multiple explosions. 

Flying out of the broken windows of the precinct was the green goblin, his laugh still audible over the crackling of fire and sirens. Just as he was about to follow him, he noticed –  
“Shit,” the villain was no longer carrying peter.

\----------------

Despite his truce with detective Mahoney, daredevil was never accepted by the cops of Hell's Kitchen, not like peter was. The daily bugle might slander his name every day, but even the police now knew that Spider-man was on their side. The same could not be said for Daredevil. That made his next decision even more desperate. Jumping in through the already broken window of the precinct, in the full daredevil suit, just after multiple explosions, it wasn’t surprising to be met with hostility. 

The 6 guns facing him were ignored, however, in the face of something much worse. 

Spider-man, in his suit, without his mask, in the middle of an NYPD precinct. 

Crying over the body of his aunt May.


	2. The discussion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I tried.   
> (and I should be doing my dissertation)

Brett Mahoney sighed as walked through the room. The entire top floor of the building had been cleared of personnel, for what was supposed to be an important meeting between various New York Precincts. He had assumed that would mean he could catch up on some paperwork before heading out on the new Pierson drug case. 

But no. His captain ordered him to be present, 1 am sharp.

Despite his best efforts, he still had no clue what the meeting could be about, why it involved so many different precincts, and why the hell he had been ordered to attend. 

The top floor was usually used for training purposes and important meetings. As such, it had more of an open plan central area, with only a few private rooms and offices, as well as a large conference room at the back.

No one else had arrived yet, so he walked into the conference room and took a seat close to the door as if it would give him an escape from this whole meeting. 

As the few other officers slowly tricked into the room, their apprehensive faces spoke volumes about their own knowledge of the meeting. There seemed to be 3 other officers and detectives in the room with him, all of whom he didn’t even recognize. Damn, he thought, I’ve got a bad feeling about this.

Just as he was about to introduce himself and ask what was going on, a voice interrupted him.

“As I live and breathe, Brett Mahoney.” Misty Knight said, walking into the room.

“Misty Knight” he smiled, getting up to shake her hand. “And here I thought I’d seen the last of you when we graduated the academy.”

“Nah, can’t get rid of me that easily.” She paused, then laughed, “and we all know how hard people have tried,” she said, raising her prosthetic arm in the air.

“Damn, I heard about that. Still as badass as ever though, right?”

She chuckled, “oh yeah.”

They went silent for a moment, both wondering what was going on. 

“Man, what the Hell are we doing here?” Misty asked.

Another gruff voice replied, “I believe I can answer that.”

\---------------------------

Everyone stood as four new people entered the room and stood at the head of the conference table.

“Sit down, please,” the same man said. “Right, so, a few introductions first, then I believe we get on with it. I’m Captain Tom Ridenhour, of the 29th Precinct in Harlem. To my left, are Captains Hannah Ryan of Hell’s Kitchen, Lucas Rivera of Queens, and Ria Brookes of Manhattan.”

He continued, “The people sitting next to you belong to one of the Captains here, and this is strictly a meeting between our precincts.”

Captain Ryan, a short, middle-aged white woman with shoulder-length blonde hair took over next. “Officially, this is a meeting to discuss cooperation between different NYPD precincts in the event of an attack or event spanning more than one area. Officially. But that’s not the only reason why we’re here. If anyone is uncomfortable with this, feel free to leave now.”

No one moved. Whether it be out of curiosity, trust in their captains, or just a feeling, everyone remained at the table. 

Captain Ryan continued. “Okay, good. Since the incident, New York has seen an increase in vigilante activity.” She could see the cogs turning behind the eyes of the 5 opposite her, and she hoped to god this was still a good idea. “Groups like the avengers and the fantastic four are known by all, but they don’t interact as much with the average joe in the city. Vigilantes do. Our four precincts have had the most interactions with vigilantes, especially in the past year. We need to decide what to do about this.” 

Sensing interruption from both the captains and the officers in front of her, Ryan held up her hand. “I understand everyone has their opinions on this matter, and that’s why we’re here. To present a united front.”

\------------------------------

Brett understood why this meeting was necessary. While he had a sort of agreement with daredevil, no-one else in his precinct did, and he could guess the same could be said for the others as well. Being friendly one night and shooting at them the next is not the best way to stop vigilante activity, nor is it the best way to appreciate the help given. It was an important decision that needed to be made, especially by the areas most frequented by vigilantes. But one thing was still bugging him. 

“Captain,” at Ryan’s nod he continued. “I understand why this is important, but why are we here. Shouldn’t this be a meeting with the chief of police?”

His captain gave him a calculating look as if contemplating her answer carefully. “You’re here, Mahoney, because of your relationship with Daredevil.”

“Wait, captain-”

“Mahoney. I know you meet up with him a few times a week. And I know you are the only one in our whole department he trusts. Hell, the only one in our department any of his vigilante friends trust.”

Brett had to admit, the word was certainly getting around. A few weeks ago, he was contacted by Jessica Jones and Luke Cage about a case of some missing children from Harlem, which was connected to a case he was working on. At the time, he just assumed it was the right place right time. But then, when is that ever true with these people? He knows they’ve been seen working with daredevil. It cant be a coincidence.

He was brought out of his musings when Riveria, the young, broad-shouldered Hispanic Captain, entered the conversation. 

“That’s why you’re all here. We may be the captains, but it's you who have the best relationships with these people. You are trusted by them. We’re not asking you to break that trust. At least not yet. We want to discuss how to move forward. Working with vigilantes, or working to arrest them.”

The room fell silent once again. The 3 young officers from Manhattan and Queens looked particularly taken aback. Brett could understand it. They normally dealt with Spider-Man. Though he was a vigilante, he ended up getting kittens from trees and talking to hot dog vendors a lot more than he did beating Russian mobsters to a bloody mess or dropping people off buildings, like daredevil did. Spider-Man did have major battles with people including the Green Goblin and Otto Octavius that caused a lot of damage, but primarily he seemed a little tame compared to the others. 

Captain Ridenhour took this opportunity to speak. “Knight, you and I don’t see eye to eye on vigilantes, especially Luke Cage and Jessica Jones” 

“You’re damn right we don’t,” Misty replied, shocking half the occupants in the room with her tone. “Now I’m not saying that what they do is legal or that it always has the best outcome. But you’ve got to admit that they do things we simply can’t. They get results. It's not just about us. I’ve seen a lot less young men repeat offending and turning to crime since Luke Cage arrived, and I want to keep it that way.” 

“Be that as it may Knight, that is why we’re here. I’m willing to discuss these vigilantes, then present a united front. If that means working with them, offering assistance, well, we’ll see.”

\----------------------------

For the next 45 minutes, the group discussed their various vigilantes. From dealing with Hawkeye, an avenger, to the punisher, who had his own skewed set of rules. And down to the homegrown heroes, as people started to call them, the defenders, or whatever. The four of them had seen together a lot more recently, and now with the addition of Spider-Man quite often as well. 

Officers Mark Stevens and Billie Grant from Queens had, it seemed, finally overcome their shock to sing Spider-Man’s praises. As did the Manhattan rookie, officer Tony Harper, who said that on his first-ever shift, spiderman had pulled him out of the way of a truck, saving his life, and now said hi every time he saw him.

Brett couldn’t say he had much experience with the guy, but Spider-Man sure did seem to be having an effect on Daredevil. He seemed more approachable, and Brett would swear that he saw him smile once. Now that was creepy. 

He himself mentioned how Daredevil helped to find the dirty cops in their precinct, how despite his treatment he had never gone against them or committed any serious crimes unrelated to vigilantism. Ultimately, though he may not approve of his methods, Brett knew that he would trust the man to help keep the city safe, from whoever or whatever meant to harm it. And he said as such. 

\--------------------------------------

It was 2 am. They were still no closer to a decision, though a lot of it was more captains playing devil's advocate against the officers. They had never had personal experience with the vigilantes, so didn’t quite understand the faith the others had in them. Ultimately, it was the captain who made the decisions. They all knew this was going to be a long night.

Then Captain Brookes, a young black woman with long dark braids answered a call. “This better be good Simmons” she growled, obviously annoyed by the interruption. 

“Okay, thanks for the heads up”

She looked around the room. “One of my detectives just spotted the Green Goblin in Manhattan. It might be nothing, but with-. Well, this might not be common knowledge for all of you, but we haven’t seen Spider-Man in 2 weeks. People are starting to become concerned. Any attack is likely to be worse without his intervention. We have no way to contact him or any of the other vigilantes. We’re organizing a response team now, but you have to admit this would be a lot easier with their help”

Just as they were about to discuss further, a chime interrupted them. Captain Ryan checked her phone, information from one of her officers appeared on the screen.

“Shit,” Captain Ryan interrupted. “He’s-” 

Maniacal laughter and explosions cut off the captain and rocked the building, breaking the windows on the central area as a large silhouette loomed. 

\---------------------------------------------

They all raced out of the conference room, guns drawn, to find the Green Goblin, standing just inside the window. He was holding a bloodied spiderman by the neck, and a woman rested over his shoulder. 

“Freeze! NYPD!” was shouted by all, but he didn’t seem to care. The Goblin was smart, too smart for them to deal with. He knew they wouldn’t shoot him, even if they were willing to risk Spider-Man they would never risk the woman. And he knew it. 

“Well,” the Goblin sneered, “It seems our time together is over. And I was having so much fun too. Thanks for all your help Peter, say goodbye to your aunt for me.”

With that, he threw Spider-man and the woman towards the officers and flew right back through the window. They were a bit too distracted to give chase.

The woman groaned, laid herself on her back, and sifted just as Spiderman all but leaped to her side. They could all see the slowly expanding pool of blood beneath her but felt paralyzed to the spot by Spider-man’s anguished scream.

“I’m sorry,” he cried. “Aunt May, I’m so sorry. I love you so much, I’m sorry you got dragged into this. I’m sorry, I should have told you. I’m sorry.”

They must have felt like no one else was in the room. The officers were silent, moving closer to the duo, not wanting to spook them, but knowing they needed help. As they got closer, they could see the poor shape they were both in, cuts riddled the both of them, their blood mixing on the floor.

“My brave boy,” she replied. Lifting her hand to his face. And in that moment, Spider-man took off his mask. Spider-man, the man the daily bugle said was a menace. The man who got kittens out of trees and saved hundreds of lives every week. The man they were discussing whether to trust or to arrest not moments ago, took off his mask. And underneath: a boy. 

It was shock that kept them still and quiet this time. No-one knew what to do, what to say. 

The woman continued. “I always knew Peter. I always knew.” She started to cry with Spider-man, Peter, now. “This isn’t your fault,” she coughed. “So don’t blame yourself. I love you so much, Peter. My own little superhero. 

She cupped his face, a face too young to have such a look of anguish. 

“And I’m so proud of you, of the man you’ve become. I know Ben is too. And your parents.”

“Aunt May” he cried again, as she shifted and coughed, trying not to show pain. 

“Never forget I love you, Peter. I love you so much.”

With that, her hands dropped from his face, and she drew her last difficult breathes. Leaving spiderman, without his mask, crying over her body.

Just as they were moving forward, a crunch of glass altered them to someone by the window. Misty and Brett darted forward to protect spiderman as the others drew their guns on the intruder. 

In front of them, stood Daredevil. He took a quick glance at the guns but instead focussed on spiderman. 

He raised his hands.


	3. The tears we cry

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Maybe I should be a bit more positive.   
> Okay, well, let's see.

No one moved. 

For all but Brett, this was their first time seeing the vigilante up close. The deep red of his suit and the horns didn’t have the same effect from a distance, but up close it was clear to see why this man was so feared by the criminals of the city. 

The captains exchanged a look. Maybe if they had arranged a meeting sooner, a situation like this wouldn’t have happened. But right now, they struggled with the approach to take, especially with a crying child hidden behind them. 

“Stay there, Daredevil,” Captain Ryan began. “Keep your hands by your head. We don’t want to arrest you.” 

At the looks from her fellow captains maybe that last comment only applied to her. But she had seen the good he had done for Hell’s Kitchen first-hand. If a good detective like Mahoney trusted this man, maybe she was willing to as well. Depending on how this current encounter went anyway.

They just needed to ask him about his intentions. Was he here because he heard the explosions, or did it have something to do with spiderman? 

Daredevil stood, hands raised placatingly by the side of his head, seemingly ignoring them all, and stared ahead. Right at Spider-man.

\--------------------------------------

“Red?” came a soft, broken voice. 

Everyone’s focus suddenly shifted back to the boy, who was still knelt on the floor crying. 

He had lifted his gaze from the woman on the floor and was now looking past Mahoney and Knight, towards daredevil. 

The kid stumbled onto his feet, weak from shaking legs and tears. He stepped around the body on the floor, his gaze occasionally drifting back as though to check she was still there. He continued forward a few steps, only to collapse back onto his knees sobbing. 

There to catch him as he fell was Daredevil, who had rushed further into the room while the police were distracted. As much as he was uncomfortable in a room full of people who wanted to arrest him, Peter was more important right now. 

“Peter,” he said gently, as he pulled the kid into a hug, both now knelt on the floor in the middle of a ring of law enforcement officers. 

“She’s gone,” Peter sobbed. “Wha- What am I gonna do now.”

“Shhhhh, it gonna be okay Peter. I promise,” daredevil replied softly, gripping him tighter. 

“It was my fault - It's always my fault, Red. Everyone I love dies, they all die Red! Oh god, I can’t believe she’s gone. Wha- What am -?”

“None of this is your fault, Peter.” Daredevil interrupted. Though a whisper, it could be heard around the room, as could his soft tone. “She loved you so much. May was an amazing woman, she wouldn’t want you blaming yourself for anything. I promise you’re going to be okay.”

A few moments of silence, broken only by the soft sobs of a teenager. 

“Where am I gonna go?” The despair in his voice was heartbreaking for everyone listening

Without hesitation, Daredevil replied, “With me. You can stay with me, Peter. With any of us. You know we all love you, we all loved May as well. Maybe we didn’t love her cooking…” They both gave small smiles, a light in the darkness. “You’ll never be alone, Peter. You have me. You have Luke and Danny and Jess. Everyone else. And May will always be with you.”

\------------

They all watched the scene unfold. Silent. Unmoving. Unsure what to do. 

Daredevil had moved far too quickly for any of them to intervene, using what could have been superhuman speed for all they knew, to catch Spider-man as he fell. 

In the minutes that passed, they lowered their guns, listening to the soft words of reassurance and sympathy from arguably one of the most dangerous men in the city. 

Rationally they knew he was just a man. Maybe he had powers, maybe he didn’t. But Daredevil, like Spider-man, had always seemed so unreachable as if he was more than human. Taking on drug cartels, muggers, and hell, even ninjas. Standing on the edges of buildings, that menacing voice, putting so many criminals in the hospital. 

By reputation, to most he was a brutal and unforgiving demon, ridding the world of sin. To Captain Ryan, he seemed a guardian of the city; maybe not one she entirely trusted, but there all the same. To Brett, he knew the vigilante as more than just a shadow to be afraid of, he knew he cared about the people of the city and he knew he was way too stubborn for his own good. But even he had not seen past the hard Kevlar exterior of the vigilante. The man on his knees, hugging and comforting a crying child was not the image they all had of the Devil of Hell’s kitchen.

No one had yet had the time to process the fact that Spider-man had taken his mask off. They couldn’t ignore it, couldn’t take it back. Underneath the mask was a child. Spider-man was always the happy go lucky vigilante, always talking to kids, being friendly to the people he met in the streets, to the people he saved. But he could also catch cars and escape huge explosions. He fought alongside the defenders, alongside avengers and he knew the fantastic four. It was hard to assimilate New York’s most loved vigilante with the child in front of them. And it was obvious they knew each other outside of their costumes. Maybe no vigilante truly worked alone at all.

\-----------------

Brett noticed first when the sobs started to quieten down.

He figured he was probably the least shocked by Daredevil’s strange new behavior. If only because he had gotten used to the different quirks of the vigilante of the past few months. So, he was the first to notice when Spider-man’s breaths began to even out and he slumped more against Daredevil's shoulders. 

Daredevil raised his head, and looked at Brett, with an unspoken question. This drew the attention of the others, who were also now paying close attention to their interaction. 

“Is he asleep?” Brett asked quietly, not wanting to wake the kid, but also not wanting to break the calm atmosphere. Not long ago, guns had been raised against Daredevil, and he did not want a repeat situation. 

“Yes. Is there somewhere I can lay him down?” Though Matt knew there were a few private rooms close by, he also knew he needed these people to trust him. Peter was in no state to be moved. His own injuries notwithstanding, both physical and mental, the police had seen his face. It would be best to let him sleep at the precinct, and deal with the questions as they came. There would be no avoiding this forever. 

Brett looked towards Captain Ryan for confirmation. No one knew how this was going to play out, best to be on the same page. At her nod, he continued. “There’s a private room with a sofa over here. You bring him in, I’ll get him some spare clothes.” It had not escaped his attention the tears in the young vigilante’s suite, nor the blood that covered him. Both dry and fresh.

Daredevil simply nodded. He put his arms under Spider-man’s legs and carefully lifted the sleeping teen up into a bridal carry. 

They worked around each-other. Walking to the room, carefully placing peter on the sofa while Brett searched the cupboards for clothes and a first aid kit. “They might be a bit big on him, but, here,” Brett said, handing Daredevil the clothes. “I got a first aid kit as well, to at least patch up some of his bigger cuts.”

Again, Daredevil nodded, though a bit more hesitantly. Luckily, Brett got the hint. 

“Okay, um, I’ll be right outside. You know, they’re gonna want to talk to you. Both of you. But, just, take care of the kid first.” 

He didn’t wait to see Daredevil's reaction before stepping outside and closing the door behind him. 

\------------------------------------

After half an hour of carefully patching some of Peter’s bigger wounds, and cleaning him off most of the dried blood, Matt sighed. Confident of the privacy of the room, he removed his helmet and ran his hand through his hair. 

Matt allowed himself a 2-minute freakout. May was dead, the police had seen Peter’s face, and he had to go back out there and answer their questions, without revealing too much. Great. The only silver lining was that Peter was okay. He was injured. Broken ribs, deep lacerations across his torso, back and arms, as well as a litany of other bruises and cuts. But he was alive. That was all that mattered. 

He put his helmet back on, feeling less than prepared for what lay ahead.

\------------------

Outside, the conversation stopped as Daredevil exited the private room. 

Four police captains. 

Two Detectives. 

Three Officers. 

And Daredevil. 

All in one room. Let the questions begin.


	4. Conversations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The last time I wrote something that wasn't an academic essay or a report was 6 years ago, which makes me feel old. I'm 22 : )
> 
> I had a really hard time writing this one, sooooooo maybe it's not great, but oh well.

While Daredevil was tending to Spider-man, the atmosphere in the room became tense. As soon as Brett had returned, he and Captain Ryan spent the next 10 minutes calling the officers and detectives in the precinct below, telling them that the situation was under control and that under no circumstances was anyone allowed to interrupt their meeting. Officers had already been sent to the areas affected by the pumpkin bombs, so their main goal was to reduce the uncertainty that came with an attack so close to home.

As with any supervillain attack, word had quickly gotten round to the other precincts as well. Calls and texts flooded to the other officers in the room, asking if they were okay or if they needed back-up. Throughout all these communications, they all followed the same unspoken rule; don’t mention Spider-man or Daredevil. They exchanged a look as soon as the door closed on the two vigilantes, deciding that keeping their involvement quiet was for the best, not only because they were technically harboring criminals, but also because no one had yet gotten over the shock of the teenager in a onesie.

They needed time to process.

Misty found a blanket and placed it over the woman’s body. They couldn’t call the crime scene investigators, not yet. Not without discussing the hell was going on first. So they would have to leave her there, at least for the time being. A blanket was the least she could do.

It seemed no one else knew what to say either. They remained standing in silence until the door opened.

\--------------------------------------------------

Daredevil stood with his back to the door. It doesn’t escape anyone’s notice that he's protecting the kid; stance light, looking calm but ready to fight at a moment’s notice. It only reinforces the vulnerability of the situation.

“Are you going to arrest us?” Daredevils gruff voice says, shaking them all from their silence.

Though he had heard parts of their hushed conversations earlier, he was more focussed on Peter to really pay any attention. He trusted Brett. He was beginning to trust Misty. But everyone else was an unknown.

It was Brett who answered, deciding it would be best if he took the lead first.

“Let’s talk in here,” he said, walking towards the conference room, avoiding answering the question. The othered followed apprehensively, not quite sure what his plan was. Brett was known for his relationship with the horned vigilante, but that didn’t mean they fully trusted his judgment in this situation. Daredevil remained by the door.

They sat at the large conference table once again, all seated on one side of the table, facing the door. Only when they had all sat down did daredevil follow them. He remained standing in the doorway for a while, looking unsure, before taking the seat facing the others, keeping the door open.

“You didn’t answer my question,” Daredevil growled, looking at no one in particular.

Captain Ridenhour was the one to respond. “No, we didn’t. Because we don’t know. If it were up to me, you’d already be in cuffs. As a matter of fact, we were just discussing that very thing,” he spat, then looked over to his fellow officers.

Daredevil remains silent, grimacing and clenching his fists. Captain Ryan looks at Brett pointedly, trying to convey with her eyes that Brett is the one he trusts, that he can talk to.

“Okay,” he begins, trying to diffuse the situation. “We were all having a meeting tonight to discuss what stance the police should take on vigilantism; it’s stupid to have one man trust you while another shoots at you. We have the captains of the Queens, Harlem, Manhattan, and Hell’s kitchen precincts here. Officers Stevens, Grant, and Harper from Queens and Manhattan have all been saved by Spider-man, and me and Misty have obviously had experiences with you and the rest of the guys here. It was basically us trying to convince the captains to give you a chance.” With a glare, he added, “so don’t mess this up.”

The vigilante looked at Brett and nodded, but he remained silent.

Misty took over, trying to look the vigilante in the eyes. “Luke says you’re a good guy, I’m inclined to believe him. But you better explain to me what the hell is going on and why we’ve got one dead body and one half-dead teenage vigilante down the hall. We heard you call him Peter, in fact, we all heard everything you said. This isn’t a threat; we want to know the truth.”

\------------------------------------------

He was considering the options. Everyone in the room had heard the conversion he had with Peter. It wouldn’t take them long to find Peter’s full name and everything about him. Though he considered taking the kid and running, he knew that wasn’t an option. Peter wouldn’t be able to have a life, he wouldn’t even be able to be Spider-man if the police were looking for him. If Matt or Luke or any of the others let him stay with them, they could be charged with kidnapping. Matt wouldn’t be able to take him in without the risk of people finding out who he was. The only real option he had was to trust Brett and Misty, and to hopefully come to an agreement and find a way out that was best for Peter.

Daredevil sighed, then spoke with a resigned voice. “His name is Peter Parker. He and his Aunt May have been missing for two weeks. We’ve been trying to find them. Luke was just about to call you, Detective Knight, and ask for your help in trying to find him. I don’t know what happened.”

He knew such a short and concise answer probably wouldn’t cut it with the detectives, and he was right.

Misty’s eyes darkened as she glanced at Brett, then turned back to glaring at the vigilante in front of her.

“Alright,” she huffed, “cut the bullshit devil man, or whatever I’m meant to call you.”

“I’ll answer to Mike” a glowering Daredevil interrupted.

Brett failed at holding back a small chuckle, remembering the night Daredevil had said that to him a few months ago. He laughed then as well.

Misty rolled her eyes and continued. “So, _Mike,_ I don’t know what kind of game you think you’re playing, but I don’t care. I want answers.”

A look at the others in the room told Brett that they were happy for the detectives to continue, if only because they had spoken to the man before and he might trust them more.

Daredevil was looking extremely uncomfortable. He was still tense, as if ready to bolt at a moment's notice. It didn't surprise him. Daredevil was often called the man without fear; Fighting ninjas and mobsters in the dead of night was where he was comfortable. Sitting down in a well-lit room, in front of 9 police officers, an injured teenage friend asleep a few rooms over... not the type of situation he was used to.

He cut into Misty’s rant, bringing all of Daredevil’s attention back on him. “Simple questions first. How old is he?”

“He’s 15.”

A collective gasp ran through the room. It's one thing for someone to look young, but another to have it confirmed.

Captain Ryan, voiced raised, butted in with “How could you let a 15-year-old child fight-”

“No,” a low growl from the vigilante stopped her. “I don’t let him do anything. You would respect him if he was older, so you better show some respect for him now. Spider-man saves lives every day; he’s saved the lives of your fellow officers. He has his reason to fight, just like the rest of us.”

It was obvious why Daredevil was so feared by the criminals of the kitchen, the way his voice could be cold and dark. It put them on edge.

Brett was the first to break the silence. “Shit. Okay, we’ll come back to that. What did he mean when he said he had no one else, where are his parents? Do they know he’s Spiderman?”

“Peter’s parents died when he was 4. His Uncle Ben died last year. His Aunt May was his only living relative.” At their silence, he continued. “But I meant what I said, Peter can live with any of us. He has a lot of friends willing to do anything for him.”

He could sense everyone’s heart rates increase at the new information, though they tried to keep their reactions in check. Brett was obviously trying to continue his line of questions with as little interruption as possible.

“Did you know his Aunt May?”

“She was a nurse at Metro-General and vanished right in the middle of her shift. She was a kind woman, who only wanted to do what was best for Peter.”

“Does Peter know your real name?”

“Yes,” came the simple answer from the vigilante. He wasn’t going to clarify any further than that.

“How did you meet?”

Just as Daredevil was about to answer with a gruff none of your business, another voice sounded by the doorway as a figure came into view.

“I threw him off a roof.”


End file.
